New Year's Eve

Tomorrow, the first day of 2016, my adventure to becoming a better, more organized, well read, creative person begins. I also start two more challenges, bringing the grand total up to 5. In addition to reading more, becoming a better me and the "Great Tidy Up", I am starting a fitness challenge with my sister, and Project 365.

The "21 day Fitness Challenge" is through Oola Life (https://www.oolalife.com/).  I love these guys.  My sister turned me on to them this past year, and I have really had a lot of personal growth thanks to Oola. If you have a chance, I recommend taking a look at their website, and reading the book, "Oola, Find Balance in an Unbalanced World", it might change your life.

365 Project, is all about documenting the coming year, one day and one photograph at a time. This is the link to my profile.  There is nothing there yet, but there will be.
http://365project.org/chaneywiese/profile
I'm super excited about this project. I love to take pictures, and I really want to get better at it.  Plus, what a fun way to capture everyday memories!

Today is my hubby's birthday, and we will celebrate with dinner out and maybe a movie. Neither of us are big into loud, crowded parties, and although we love our friends and usually celebrate with them, this year we will be ringing in the New Year quietly this year. R has to work early tomorrow morning, and I have much to do to prepare for 12th Night on Saturday.

Get Set...

Now for the hard one.

"Organize this Mess" aka "The Great Tidy Up".

I have stuff. Too much stuff. Stuff of all sorts, shapes, and sizes. I need to get rid of some stuff so that I can find the stuff I want when I need it.  I admit it, I am not a tidy person. Don't get me wrong, I don't live in filth or anything like that; my organizational style has always been "Organized Chaos" up until now.  I don't want to be like that anymore.  I want my things to have a place, and to be in that place unless I am using it.

This is going to be a year long project, because just like eating an elephant, you can't do it all in one bite. So I am breaking down my spaces into 12 zones.  One for each month. I'm starting with my desk/office area.  I don't really have my own office, but I have claimed a corner of the living room as my space. Right now, my desk is serving no purpose other than to hold stuff. By the end of January, I will have a tidy, organized space where I can write, pay bills, and take care of other household business.

The rest of the year will look something like this:
February - Craft Room
March - SCA Gear
April - Storage Shed
May - Bedroom Closet (Yes, it really does need it's own month)
June - R's Office
July - Bedroom
August - Dining Room
September - Linen Closet/Bathroom
October - Laundry Room
November - Family Room
December - Holiday Decorations

With any luck, and a lot of motivation, my house will be clutter free and organized by 2017.

Get Ready...

Year long challenge number two.

Another Challenge I found on Pinterest. One small change per month. Easy-peasy right?  I think this challenge will be good for me, because while it is a year long challenge, it's also a monthly one. Working on Something new each month of the year?  That is right up my alley.

The change for January is "Drink More Water". I can do this. I am already pretty good about drinking water, but at work I can sometimes get distracted and forget. Then I end up drinking it all at night; you can imagine where that gets me.

I'm thinking about setting a reminder on my phone to go off once an hour while I am at work. When the reminder goes off, I dirnk 8 ounces.

At the Starting Line

As 2015 draws to a close, I am looking forward to a new year full of new challenges for growth and learning. I often have a hard time finding motivation within myself to accomplish my goals, and I find that challenges are often the best way for me get where I want to be. Usually, I am only competing against myself, although occasionally I will take on a competitive challenge just for the fun of it.

I'm starting off the year with three year long challenges, and one thirty day challenge.  The plan, is to continuously work through the year long challenges, and start a new 30 day challenge each month.

First, a reading challenge.  I love to read, but I often but it on the back burner for electronic entertainment. One of my goals for 2016 is to read more and play games on my phone less. I picked this challenge from Popsugar that I found on Pinterest. I think it will fun!